HOPES for an early end to the Co Cavan siege were raised last night after a heavily armed man, surrounded by gardai, surrendered two of his firearms.
Gerrit Isenborger, a German national barricaded inside a house at Bawnboy, Co Cavan, since he shot three people on Wednesday, handed over two rifles a bayonet and some ammunition. The weapons were left by the man on a pillar outside the house and were collected by two uniformed gardai.
The senior garda at the scene said he was "more upbeat" about the prospects for an early and peaceful resolution to the siege after the weapons surrender. "We're aware of other weapons in the house but this is a breakthrough," Supt PJ Browne said:
He said that he was prepared to accept the man's word that his elderly mother, who was also inside the house, was now dead.
Throughout the second day of the siege, it was apparent that negotiations with the man were proving difficult. Gardai cleared observers from hilltops hundreds of yards from the scene, after Mr Isenborger became upset by their presence.
Officers feared that Mr Isenborger, who has German military training, would open fire and could shoot accurately at distances of up to half a mile using a high powered rifle.
Meanwhile there appeared to be a level of local support for the man who opened fire on the county sheriff and two assistants as they arrived at the house to enforce an eviction order. Mr Isenborger, who said his mother was dying of cancer inside the house, had failed to comply with previous directions to leave the building following a dispute with his landlord.
According to one fellow national who lives locally there is "definitely" some sympathy within the community for the man, although he himself pleaded with him to end the siege peacefully.
Early yesterday morning Mr Isenborger asked gardai for cigarettes, a newspaper and CocaCola, which were supplied. At that stage negotiations by telephone with gardai consisted of intermittent conversations lasting about half an hour. But later conversations were of more than two hours.
The man continued to make no demands other than that he be allowed to remain living at the house. His mood was described as "quite positive" by Supt Browne, who added that he had listed for gardai the weapons he kept at the house.
Gardai would not confirm details but it appeared that Mr Isenborger's arsenal included at least two rifles, a shotgun and a handgun. He also had ball ammunition rather than normal shotgun pellets.
Supt Browne said he had "absolutely no intention whatsoever of storming the house" and he appealed to the man to open face to face negotiations with gardai, rather than conduct all talking by telephone.
According to Supt Browne, the man had said he regretted Wednesday's shootings when he injured Mr Tommy Owens, the county sheriff, and his assistants, Mr Paul Comiskey and Mr Chris Raythorn. All three men were said to be in comfortable condition yesterday and were likely to be discharged from hospital shortly.
In the conversations, Mr Isenborger mentioned one former work colleague, who spoke to him by telephone yesterday.
Supt Browne said that the condition of the man's mother, Pauline (82), remained unclear. Earlier the man had said she was dead, but then he said he was about to speak to her. By mid afternoon he said again that she was dead. Officers were prepared to accept his word but had told the man they would not enter the house unless he first came out. The man had not requested a priest or any medical help.
"We won't know until we see the body," another senior officer said.